After a kidney transplant, men’s hearts tend to shrink back to a healthier size more than women’s hearts do over six months—even though men’s hearts were bigger to begin with—suggesting that men and women’s hearts respond differently to the transplant.

After getting a new kidney, women’s hearts don’t shrink as much in size as men’s hearts do.

When adults with severe kidney disease get a new kidney, their heart often gets healthier—especially the thickened walls and enlarged chamber—but men and women don’t improve in exactly the same way or to the same degree.

After getting a new kidney, women’s hearts show more improvement in a specific heart measurement than men’s, even though women started with a larger heart size — suggesting their hearts recover differently based on sex.

Women with kidney disease who are getting a new kidney tend to have bigger and less flexible heart chambers before the surgery than men, which might mean their hearts have been working harder for longer.